The Nintendo 3DS was Nintendo's fifth handheld console, releasing worldwide in 2011. It retained the dual screen design of its predecessor, the DS, with the top screen now able to display stereoscopic 3D images. It also followed the Nintendo DSi in allowing users to download content — the 3DS even allowed for game patches in some rare cases.
As with previous Nintendo handhelds, the 3DS was followed by a number of hardware revisions. This included the Nintendo 3DS XL, a noticeably larger model, and the much cheaper Nintendo 2DS which removed both the clamshell design and 3D support. A more significant hardware revision came during 2014 in the form of the New Nintendo 3DS, though most games could still be played on a regular 3DS.